Budget workshop tops Oroville City Council agenda for special meeting

OROVILLE &GT;&GT; With the 2014-15 fiscal calendar nearing, the Oroville City Council called a special meeting for Tuesday night to conduct a budget workshop and attend to a few other items.

Besides the budget workshop, the board will consider amending its Supplemental Benefits Fund agreement with the Department of Water Resources and whether to lease space for three months to Petaluma Ecumenical Properties, Inc., relating to the new Orange Tree Senior Apartment project.

The first item scheduled for the meeting is the Supplemental Benefit Fund implementation agreement, which the city initially entered into in March 2006, according to a memo from City Administrator Randy Murphy and SBF program specialist Bob Marciniak.

The SBF is partially funded $100,000 under a settlement agreement with various agencies and organizations for the Oroville Dam relicensing. Officials had expected the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission, or FERC to complete the relicensing process, but it's still pending.

In 2006, a settlement agreement was reached to provide funds totaling $61,270,000, according to Murphy. The fund was established to allow the benefits of Oroville Dam to be extended into the local communities.

According to the memo, the original agreement term ran from July 21, 2006, through July 20, 2011 for a funding total of $8,07 million. The extension period sought now would end July 20, 2015. It would cover the remainder of the $8 million allotment under the original agreement.

A lump sum payment for more than $4.1 million is expected once the relicensing process is final.

Murphy's recommendation to the council is to approve the extension through 2015.

The council also may approve a lease agreement with Petaluma Ecumenical Properties, known as PEP Housing, to lease office space at the Cultural Center for three months, on a month-to-month basis, to meet with prospective tenants interested in renting at the new Orange Tree Senior Apartments.

Community Development Director Don Rust indicated in a memo that some amenities will be added to the project, including an on-site bus stop shelter, a dog run and a sign on High Street.

PEP Housing will pay $310 per month.

The remainder of the meeting will be devoted to the 2014-15 budget workshop and include potential personnel actions. The council is expected to meet again on July 1 to adopt a preliminary budget, hold another workshop on July 17, and approve a final budget on Aug. 12.

According to the budget information included with the May 20 meeting agenda, the projected budget includes adding a public works director, a four-month seasonal worker for the Parks and Trees department, leasing new police vehicles and restoring an accounting manager position, among other items.

In a summary statement, he city's projected total revenue for 2014-15, including transfers, is $12,187,083. Projected expenses total $11,818,785.

The meeting will be held from 5-7 p.m. at Council Chambers, 1735 Montgomery Street.